Guide to an Unplugged Weekend [read: much needed ‘Me Time’]

It’s great to hit the ground running. But, honestly, the past month has been all running non-stop 100% of the time. If you sneak a peek at that agenda, you’ll know just how much I’ve been running. And I needed a break. With two papers to write, applications to submit, a full-time job, an organization of 1,400 women, and the long-term on my mind, the only way to cool off was to unplug. It’s been hard for me to accept that because I always say there’s not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do, so I try my very best to do it all. But even then, everyone needs a moment to step back.

“Underface” by Shel Silverstein“Underneath my outside face

There’s a face that none can see.

A little less smiley,

A little less sure,

But a whole lot more like me.”

Thanks, Shel, for being a voice that was there when I was 8 years old and 18 years old. I appreciate you.

Enter ‘unplugged weekend’ August edition. It became clear that I needed to get away from the world, have a staycation, and have minimal contact with people. For an extrovert like myself, the unplugged weekend usually sounds horrific. Away from people? My energy source? But even extroverts need their space.

I decided to first delete all of my social media apps for the weekend. I didn’t even want to see what everyone else was doing. Social media, as it is, makes it harder for you to really get a grasp on your relationships with people and what they’re up to because it’s a distorted self-presentation outlet. It’s usually okay, but when you’re ready to take some time away from everyone, it’s the last thing you want on your mind.

Then, I prioritized what I wanted to accomplish on my unplugged weekend. It came down to catching up on research and paper writing, getting ready to move out of my apartment next weekend, and eating healthy. I set up some time to sleep in, added a little flexibility to my days, and wandered over to the library, Whole Foods, and Pavement Coffeehouse. Narrowing it down to three locales, outside my current apartment, made it much less stressful to be away from stressors this weekend.

Curled up in this quilt, with a book, I felt more like myself than I have in a few months.

And then I decided to add a book into the mix. I’d been itching to read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Closeby Jonathan Safran Foer since I picked it up from Trident. I have a rule when it comes to independent book stores – always support, always buy a book. You’ll read it at some point, and now was the time to read this one. I stayed up Friday night just reading, like I used to do when I was younger, and it honestly slowed my weekend down though I spent so much time reading. Reading is somehow numb to time; you could sit there for hours and live a story that goes on for years and you’ll finish, look at the alarm clock, and only then will you realize how much time has passed. I missed being so caught up in one book as I’ve been reading all my other books over the course of a few days.

I won’t go into much detail about the weekend past this since it’ll just sound boring to you. I wrote, I read, I watched some Disney movies (and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close The Movie), I made a few enchiladas. It was really, really nice. I only talked to people I wanted to talk to – mostly my parents, and my Alison since we catch up every few months as the only best friend I’ve got that I can go months without talking to – and did things I wanted to do. I’m thankful for the ‘me time’ and for everyone who understood I needed that step back. But I’m recharged, and ready for this fall for everyone who was wondering where I went off to over the past few days. It’s all good, I’m happy to say, and I’m ready to hit the road again.